The Educational Ethics of Hackers

A mantra among hackers is “Less Yack, More Hack.” The hacker is a bricoleur, involved in “making do,” and, in doing so, recovering a non-alienated self. Yet being a “hacker” is more than mere individual inventiveness. It involves a larger set of ideals. A hacker should always practice freedom of expression, respect privacy, catalyze self-initiative, be enthusiastic about involvements, have a passionate attitude toward work, do work that is truly enjoyed, exercise creativity, and promote the desire to realize oneself and one’s ability, often in teams formed spontaneously around “projects.” The Hacker Ethic incorporates a curious relationship between intense isolation and radical sociability. Being a hacker is not truly solitary but rather involves cultivating rich communities of interest instead of forced communities of instruction. Trevor Owens, an information technology specialist with the National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program (NDIIP) in the Office of Strategic Initiatives at the Library of Congress, used the phrase “The Interest Driven Curriculum” oriented around “Online Affinity Communities” to describe this approach to education (Owens 2010). The fruits of one’s intellectual labor are donated to everybody for advances and further developments (Mart, 2011).

The hacker work ethic involves a desire to share one’s skills with a community united by common goals, along with the need to acquire recognition from peers. The value for free distribution and peer recognition is fueling today’s most exciting and transformative online experiences. Hacker ethics disdain monetary rewards for achievements, preferring what the open-sourcers label “Egoboo” (short for “Ego Boost”), which represents the respect of one’s peers for work done freely, voluntarily. Free distribution is an attempt to establish systems based on a “gift economy,” and the best representation of free distribution is the Open Source Movement. The open source operating system Linux, established by Linus Torvalds and collaboratively constructed, exemplifies the principles of the Open Source Movement where transparency, distribution, exploration, and craftsmanship are fundamental.